EDITORIAL: Investments in CareerTech paying off

Oklahoma CareerTech’s leadership has set a lofty goal of increasing enrollment at tech center and skill center campuses by 15 percent before the end of the decade.

It might well be possible to meet that goal or even surpass it.

CareerTech is the agency that operates the 60 campuses around the state aimed at getting people trained for the workforce.

High school students interested in the trades have been getting a head start at CareerTech for decades. Many people might view it as an alternative for college, and it can be, but a lot of CareerTech’s recent success has come from tailoring programs to burgeoning industries within the state.

“We’re confident enrollments in CareerTech programs will continue trending upward, considering we’ve added new programs and are modifying graduation requirements to include career training,” CareerTech Director Brent Haken said in a press release. “Expanding access to career readiness programs is critical to meeting the demands of Oklahoma’s labor market and ensuring students are prepared for both a career and college.”

Oklahoma wants to be a leader in recruiting new or relocating companies. Key to that is a strong skilled labor force. CareerTech’s efforts to tailor instruction based on the needs of these companies is playing a crucial role in diversifying our state’s economy.

CareerTech and the students who choose to learn there should be congratulated for seeing the value in this special instruction.

CareerTech’s investment in training new kinds of workers is creating good-paying jobs. That’s good for the state. Investing in CareerTech is an investment in a skilled workforce, more jobs and better jobs. It’s an investment in the whole health of the state economy. Oklahoma legislators need to keep that in mind when developing the state budget.

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